


In Your Hands

by FallacyFallacy



Series: Kanzaki Souma and the War [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Bittersweet, Community: trope_bingo, Gen, Power Dynamics, Pre-Canon, Speculative, Trope Bingo Round 13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 17:38:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20474966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallacyFallacy/pseuds/FallacyFallacy
Summary: Akatsuki takes in a stray. Keito is left to figure out what to do with him.Scenes from last year's spring.





	In Your Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the square 'Power Dynamics' on my [Trope Bingo](https://trope-bingo.dreamwidth.org/%22) card, viewable [here](https://22degreehalo.dreamwidth.org/10317.html).

“Good morning, Hasumi-dono!” Kanzaki calls as he approaches, as chipper – Keito has come to realise (with no small degree of trepidation) – as he always is.

“Good morning,” he says, eyes coming to rest immediately on the problem.

“Will you be undertaking anything today you would like my assistance with?” Kanzaki continues, then perks up ever so slightly. “Or will we be training?”

“No. Kanzaki, why aren’t you wearing a tie?”

“Umu?” Kanzaki touches his chest and then winces. “Ah… yes, I tried to fasten it this morning like you do, but I am not really sure how to do so...” He rummages around in his pocket and glares intently at the red fabric he retrieves.

Keito sighs. “This really isn’t that difficult – can’t you have one of your parents show you?”

He worries for a split second that Kanzaki might be dealing with a similar situation to Kiryuu, but Kanzaki merely laughs.

“That would not be very helpful! Neither of them have ever worn one, either.”

Rolling his eyes, Keito takes the tie and brings it around Kanzaki’s neck, brushing his hair out of the way. “Pay attention. The lengths should be around here and here...”

Kanzaki nods as he speaks, eyes following carefully as Keito’s hands move. If the kid is one thing, he’s earnest; Keito would call it his sole redeeming quality if he didn’t take it so far it felt more like a fault.

He finishes by doing up the top button on his shirt. “And this should be buttoned.”

“E-eh?!” Kanzaki grabs at his collar immediately, tilting his head back. “This is – so tight…!”

“It’s the uniform.”

But Kanzaki grunts, digging his fingers between the shirt and his neck, shifting around like a wild animal caught in a trap. “It’s very constricting, I feel as though I can barely breathe…!”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“O-ooh… I am far too agitated, I must-”

Keito barely has a moment to protest at Kanzaki reaching for his sword before he is swinging it – and then immediately falling to the floor, coughing loudly.

“...if you move too quickly, that will happen.”

Still, he watches with some approval. Perhaps if Kanzaki accidentally strangles himself each time he takes out his sword he will learn to stop?

...though he must admit that hearing his spluttering is a little upsetting.

“H-Hasumi-dono...” his voice comes, pathetic and beseeching.

Keito sighs, brow creasing. “...fine. Fastening the top button is not, strictly speaking, compulsory. It is merely recommended.”

“T-thank you...” Kanzaki says. And even undoing the button he’s clumsy.

*

“Hasumi-dono, Hasumi-dono! ...and Kiryuu-dono as well!”

It’s almost amusing how alarmed Kiryuu looks once Kanzaki’s loud greeting registers.

“...a-ahh, Kanzaki. Afternoon.”

“Yes, good afternoon to you as well! Haha, it is a rare pleasure to see you!”

“So.” Kiyuu shifts awkwardly; Keito has the immediate sense of someone accosted by a friend’s pet they aren’t sure how to deal with. “...how’ve things been going with you?”

“Very well! Hasumi-dono is taking very good care of me.”

Kiyuu relaxes a little. “Yeah? That’s good t’ hear.” But just as Keito is about to return to his paperwork, Kiryuu speaks again. “So, ah, I think I pretty much covered everythin’, danna, so...”

Keito glares at him immediately. _Bastard - this was your idea in the first place…_

Kanzaki genuinely looks disappointed to see him go, too. But as soon as he turns toward Keito he perks up.

“So, Hasumi-dono! I’ve been practising recently and I have developed a number of sword techniques which I believe could be an exciting addition to our lives!”

“Wh-_absolutely not!_”

“They are all adaptations of simple forms I have perfected since I was a child – there is truly no risk!”

“Kanzaki, I absolutely forbid you from taking out your sword in the student council room!”

Kanzaki’s hands still. And then, with some reluctance, drop.

“I see… yes, this is not the appropriate place. When we are able to meet in a more spacious area, I will show you.”

Keito nods, turning back to the form in front of him. Is this _another_ off-shoot of Chess…? He can barely keep them all straight at this point.

“But, um!” Kanzaki is standing straight up, stiff as a soldier. “If there is any way in which I am able to help, then…!”

“You aren’t a member of the student council-” (and Keito really isn’t sure if he should feel irritable or not about that) “-so no, there isn’t.”

But as he looks away, something catches his eye.

With a mental shrug, he holds up the mug. “Actually, Kanzaki? Tea would be appreciated, if you don’t mind.”

Kanzaki’s eyes widen and he grins immediately.

“Yes, of course! I will prepare it for Hasumi-dono immediately! In fact-” he continues, snatching up the cup before Keito can have second thoughts, “I will also take the opportunity to put together some wagashi! Sweets are particularly nice when one is thinking deeply, after all!”

Keito has no idea how long it takes to make wagashi but it’s sure as hell longer than boiling a kettle.

“I really don’t want-”

It’s too late – already, Kanzaki’s ponytail is trailing behind him as he races off into the distance.

_...well, at least it’s quiet now,_ he thinks.

Despite his doubts, Kanzaki returns in only half an hour.

“That was quick.”

“I already had the paste prepared for just such an occasion! I have had some free time lately, so...”

They do look nice. He even shaped some of them into little moons. He suspects that Kiryuu’s younger sister would approve.

But he asked for tea and so that is what he reaches for first.

He can feel Kanzaki’s eyes on him; focusing like this, he’s the spitting image of a determined samurai (provided you ignore the school uniform and stylish multiple-thousand-dollar wooden desk behind him).

He sips carefully – it’s the perfect temperature. He sips again. Then once more.

Eyes closed, he lowers the mug.

“Kanzaki,” he says.

“Yes, Hasumi-dono!”

“...from this day forward, you will be the student council’s official tea maker!”

“E-eh?!” Kanzaki jumps. “T-that is rather different than being an idol, but, erm… if it pleases Hasumi-dono, then I will take on that responsibility as if it were a matter of life and death!”

The paperwork comes a lot easier from that point onward.

*

“Apologies, Hasumi-dono!” Kanzaki bows deeply. “I will be unable to help you this afternoon – it is the day I attend my club activities.”

“Ah, yes...” Keito frowns. “That ‘Marine Bio Club’, led by Shinkai...”

Kanzaki smiles brightly. “Indeed! It is a marvelous club and Buchou-dono has taught me so many new and important things! Ahh, he is truly a wonderful person – I am so honored to share a clubroom with him!”

It feels strange hearing Kanzaki speaking of someone other than him so highly. He’s not particularly happy that of all people he could be compared to, Kanzaki chose _that_ weirdo.

Still, this is a source – and one he has not particularly taken advantage of, yet.

“...is that so? I’m not very familiar with him myself. What makes you say so?”

Kanzaki’s eyes, bright even by his standards, should have been his warning.

By the end of Kanzaki’s thirty-minute-long speech (ending only when Keito physically closed a door between them, gaining the distance each time Kanzaki paused to dab at his teary eyes), Keito had failed to learn even a single piece of usable information about Shinkai Kanata.

He had, however, learned a great deal about turtles.

*

Only when the words in front of him blur so badly that he can barely read them does Keito drop his pen.

He rubs at his forehead, between his eyes. A headache has been building for some time, and now that he has nothing to distract himself from it, he winces at the pain.

“Hasumi-dono, are you finished?”

“For today? Yes.”

He gathers the papers clumsily, assembling them into a stack he hopes will still make sense to him the next day.

“Then, um...Hasumi-dono. I have a request I would like to make!”

Keito pauses. Kanzaki has been unusually quiet today, and he must admit that he would likely have gone home long before this point if not for his regular refills of warm tea.

“All right. Go ahead.”

Kanzaki takes his usual soldier’s position. “Hasumi-dono, I would like to request that we use this opportunity to practise!”

“No,” Keito says.

“W- but you said-”

“That you could make a suggestion. It is denied. I am far too tired.”

Kanzaki goes quiet only for a moment. “...then, I request that we organise a time to practise soon! I have mastered all of the choreography already!”

He knows it’s a bad idea to pursue this, but he’s too confused. “What choreography? We don’t have any.”

“Akatsuki does not, no. So I have diligently studied performances by each other unit and have memorised all of the positions! Observe-!”

Before he can complain, Kanzaki is striking a pose. “Valkyrie!”

Another. “Chess!”

“Kanzaki-”

“Ryuuseitai! T-though this one’s a little embarrassing...”

“Kanzaki!” The boy jumps. Something in Keito’s chest is twisting. “Yes, that is all very impressive, but we _do not have the time_. On top of all of my usual duties, the school festival will be here in less than two weeks, and then-”

Kanzaki gasps, mood brightening immediately. “A school festival! That is incredibly exciting! Will we be organised by class or unit? There are so many different things we could put on – perhaps those sword tricks I mentioned earlier, or some demonstration-”

He’s almost as surprised as Kanzaki when his hands slam into the table.

His head is throbbing and he feels a little dizzy, so it’s hard for him to order his thoughts and feelings – that Kanzaki is so talented and so wasted here, that he’s barely even begun to deal with the work piled up on his desk and it’s only going to get worse, that he hasn’t heard from Eichi in hours-

“Please, would you just _shut up_ already?”

He rubs his hand over his face. He is so _tired_.

“I am very, very busy even on a normal day keeping this school from falling apart, and soon not only will I have to organise absolutely everything necessary to allow all of you to enjoy your festival, I will have to do it _single-handedly_ because -” He closes his eyes and his voice drops. “Please, can you stop bothering me with your ridiculous whims for five minutes?”

He feels very, very dizzy.

“...I am so sorry, Hasumi-dono...”

He hears shuffling; when he cracks open an eye, Kanzaki is kneeling on the floor.

“U-umm…” Kanzaki’s voice sounds strangely uneven. “If… if it would make up for my selfishness, then I will slice myself through, right this moment…!”

Keito stares for several long seconds.

“What?” he says.

“Seppuku,” Kanzaki explains. “It is expected of a samurai who has failed his master.”

“...what? No,” Keito says. “What?” again. “No.”

Kanzaki is watching him, eyes wide and plaintive.

“No,” Keito repeats. “No, do not do that. Ever.”

Kanzaki’s eyes flicker downwards, but after a moment he seems to accept Keito’s decision and stands.

“...thank you, Hasumi-dono.” He bows immediately again. “I promise that I will try to make better use of the opportunity you have given me.”

Despite Kanzaki’s light tread, his footsteps echo like a drum beat.

Keito rubs at the bridge of his nose, and when he closes his eyes, relief comes only for a moment.

That...wasn’t good.

He still can’t seem to put his thoughts in order and they toss about inside him like flyers in a storm. He shouldn’t have yelled at him. Kanzaki may ultimately be considered a casualty of the war but Eichi will gain nothing from his mistreatment.

He swallows, thickly.

He could not count the times Eichi has been admitted to hospital since they became friends. And while it always scares him, sheer routine can defang even the most real of threats.

But ever since last year, Keito’s tension each time has only worsened. At first, it had seemed too cruel – Eichi had already far outlived expectations, and now he was so _close_ to achieving his dreams. Now…

He shakes his head. It is normal to be concerned about a friend, but it is completely unacceptable to take that out on an unrelated innocent. His inability to properly control his emotions continues to be an issue – one he can hardly blame Eichi for needling him over.

He must work harder.

*

“Good morning, Hasumi-dono! It is rare to see you before school!”

“It is. Good morning.” He still winces a little at the volume; Kanzaki certainly has the vocal chords for a singer. But it seems that a particular problem has shown its face again. “...your tie.”

“Yes! Yes?” Kanzaki snaps to attention immediately, looking down at it. “Is there something wrong? I was in something of a rush this morning but I believe I tied it correctly...”

“It is mostly correct.” Keito steps forward and pulls the tie out of his jacket to show him. “But the knot is at an angle, see? It looks unprofessional.”

Kanzaki nods immediately. “Yes, I see! Compared to yours, it looks rather sloppy.”

“Then please watch again, and make sure to always do it this way, even if you’re in a hurry.”

He takes his time with it so as to refresh Kanzaki’s memory, but he has honestly done very well since Keito’s first demonstration. The kid’s a fast learner.

But while tying the knot, something catches his eye. He glances up, ready to chastise Kanzaki if he’s gotten distracted.

He isn’t watching Keito’s hands. Instead, his eyes are fixed on Keito’s own, wide and bright. When he realises he has his attention, his smile widens.

_...he’s like a puppy._

“Please pay attention to what I am doing,” he says abruptly, slightly thrown. “I’ll start over, now.”

“Apologies!” Now, thankfully, he shifts his gaze downwards, quickly coming to bear his signature serious glare. “Though I must admit that I still do not understand why I cannot come to school in a kimono. I would be far more comfortable, and we are a Japanese-themed unit after all.”

“If you come to school in a kimono I will put you in detention myself.” Somehow, Kanzaki’s silliness is easier to handle than his frank admiration. “Honestly – if you wanted to wear Japanese clothing so badly you could have joined the archery club, or the tea-” A vision occurs to him of Eichi hanging over Kanzaki with a glint in his eye and he dismisses it _immediately._ “...or you could have started a club for Japanese-style tea ceremony.”

“While both of those indeed sound very enjoyable, I am afraid there was simply no choice when it came to my choice of club!” Kanzaki responds, and regret immediately laces through Keito.

“Is that so? Well, your tie is fixed now so I-”

“From the very moment I heard of it I knew that I must investigate it immediately! And while my hopes of encountering a sea turtle were sadly dashed, I was blessed with far greater-”

“_Good bye, Kanzaki!_”

*

As he passes the threshold, Keito focuses on keeping the irritation out of his voice. “You called for me?”

“I did.” Kunugi adjusts his glasses. “I am aware that you are very busy, so I’ll keep this short. Your junior is failing English.”

Keito grits his teeth. “...that is certainly not ideal. But with all due respect, the term has barely begun. There is more than enough time for him to improve, so I do not see-”

“These aren’t the sort of grades students usually _improve on_.” Kunugi holds up a sheet of paper which Keito has to read twice. 29%…?

He blinks, honestly speechless.

“I don’t know if you’re to blame for this – his grades in every other subject range from passable to extraordinary. But I don’t need to tell you that it is unacceptable for a student in a unit lead by a member of the student council to be failing.”

“...yes, of course.” Keito frowns deeply, running through his head anything that might have caused this. “I will speak to him immediately.”

Kunugi levels him a heavy glare. “...if you must, then do so. But what I want to hear is that you will fix this.”

“I will,” Keito says.

“Good. I informed him of the situation before calling you, so he is likely nearby.”

Keito bows curtly, maintaining a polite restraint at least until he has left the room. As soon as he reaches the hallway, though, it is hard not to stamp like a child.

_What on earth is that idiot doing…?!_

He spies Kanzaki’s figure through the window of the unused classroom next door and marches towards it immediately, fists clenched.

“Kanzaki!” he barks, opening the door with more than necessary roughness.

The boy jumps, flinching immediately; when he turns, his eyes are wide and red.

“H-Hasumi-dono…!”

_At least he understands the severity of the situation._

Keito closes his eyes momentarily, and it’s easier than he expected to temper his anger.

“...please explain yourself.”

“I apologise with all of my being!” In an instant Kanzaki is rising from his chair and darting around the table to prostrate himself at Keito’s feet. “T-truly, this is an insult I can only answer by-”

Keito is definitely going to get another headache at this rate. “Stop that. I want to you to tell me how this happened.”

Kanzaki doesn’t raise his head, and his voice sounds muffled by more than just the floor. “I-I truly cannot tell you entirely… I really tried my absolute hardest, but-!”

“It isn’t possible to try hard and get a mark _that bad_.”

The boy flinches again, but Keito is still too frustrated to be overcome with sympathy. “I did, I promise! B-but, in class, they use so many words I have never heard before, a-and there isn’t enough time to look them all up in the dictionary… and the teacher got mad at me for asking too many questions...”

Keito does his best to consider this.

“...language lessons build on themselves. Have you always struggled with English?”

“Yes – ever since starting here...”

Keito gets a very, very bad feeling.

“...what about in middle school? How did you do then?”

Still on the floor, Kanzaki’s shoulders shift. “I didn’t – this is my first time studying it.”

Keito breathes in and out deeply, massaging the bridge of his nose again. Definitely a headache.

“Okay. How is that possible? Language classes are mandatory. Did you learn something else instead?”

Kanzaki shakes his head. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t know. I, um… did not attend a public middle school. I was homeschooled until this year.”

So it’s true. Keito wants to laugh – how on earth can something be so unbelievable and yet explain so much?

“We- we studied a number of Chinese characters to aid in our understanding of Japanese, but we were never taught any other language...”

“I get it. From what I know of your family, that much makes sense.”

Kanzaki shifts, finally sitting up, but he remains kneeled. “My family is...well, very special. In order that we may preserve our cultural heritage, we have been granted several concessions by the government – my sword, for example.” This is literally the first that Keito has heard about that not being illegal. “As a result, it is typical for those living in the compound to be schooled entirely by the family. By leaving to come to Yumenosaki, I am a rarity.”

_Concessions_. It sounds like a certain other family Keito knows all too well. He wonders whether it’s a matter of money or some long-standing political debt – based on how heavily they appear to be promoting their historical significance, probably the latter.

“...but!” Kanzaki is also clenching his fists, eyes blazing. “I promise that if I fully put my all into it, I will be able to catch up before-”

“Absolutely not.” Keito sighs deeply. “You have zero background in this subject – taking it at a high school level would be a waste of time for all concerned. Your parents should have informed the school about your familiarity before you entered-”

Kanzaki jumps up, and before Keito can react he is clutching desperately at his trouser leg.

“P-please, Hasumi-dono, do _not_ inform them of this! I-I will accept any punishment, but my parents absolutely cannot know…!”

“...why not?”

“A-as I said, it is very unusual for a member of my family to take instruction elsewhere, let alone in a school for aidoru. In truth, my parents were extremely reluctant to allow me to come here… if they became aware that there was an issue, I am sure they would decide I cannot remain here one day longer…!”

Keito… thinks.

The situation is absurd almost to the point of comedy. It cannot possibly be good for him to force himself to learn nine years’ worth of a language in less than one. And the idea of sending a child who was brought up in such a bafflingly bizarre way to a normal high school without any preparation demonstrates at best woefully misplaced optimism.

But even beyond the matter of English classes, the child himself is far too naive for his own good. In an ideal world, he could become an incredibly talented idol, but Keito knows all too well that the entertainment industry does not operate on merit alone. Akatsuki’s existence is premised on that.

And given what else Akatsuki was built for… perhaps letting him leave now would be for the best.

Kunugi-sensei would probably approve – Kanzaki does require rather a lot of attention, and he still seems unconvinced that he will be of any real use. Kiryuu might have been the one to push for his position, but even he couldn’t deny that things have not panned out as he must have hoped.

But kneeling as he is like this – haven’t his knees tired yet? – Keito can only remember how he had fallen so swiftly the other day, making such a ridiculous offer of self-punishment…

Eichi, on the other hand… would find this very _interesting._

He steps back, pulling himself from Kanzaki’s grip.

“Get off. And stand up already. I will speak to the principal-”

“Thank you, thank you!”

“-and see what I can do.” Keito grits his teeth, trying to ignore Kanzaki’s sun-bright grin. “But rest assured that if you are allowed to remain here – and that is a very big if – you will need to exhaust every possible resource to improve your grades. Do not fail to inform Kiryuu or I about something like this again.”

“Yes, absolutely, of course Hasumi-dono, thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he mutters. And yet somehow, a little of the knot that had worked its way into Keito’s chest feels loosened to see him so relieved.

It’s not far to the principal’s office so Keito takes his time, running through the speech he’ll give in his head. He doesn’t come here alone often but he would rather do this himself-

\- which is, of course, why he quickly finds himself face to face with his oldest friend.

“Keito,” Eichi says, turning towards him with an amiable tilt to his head. “How funny to cross paths with you here!”

Keito stops, strangely flustered.

“...rather than funny, I’d call it reckless. Isn’t it a bit soon for you to be walking around like this?”

Eichi’s eyes narrow for a moment. “I was released two days ago. Yes, I am able to walk. Honestly, your fussiness has become increasingly tiresome, lately.”

“Yes...well.”

“So, what business have you with the principal?”

Keito hesitates. For a moment some strange instinct compels him to invent a lie, but he shakes it away as soon as he realises it. There is no point to any of this if he is not honest with Eichi.

Instead, he sighs. “It’s a rather annoying matter. My junior, Kanzaki – he’s failing English, and I’m looking to see if I can get some kind of exemption, or at least a reprieve so he has time to catch up.”

“Kanzaki… Souma-kun? I suppose it’s consistent with his old-fashioned image, but I had thought him a very dutiful boy.”

“He is. He’s just never studied it before.”

“Is that so?” Eichi’s smile widens. “How strange! His family is certainly an oddity, though they are very difficult to gain information on...”

Just as he thought – the Tenshouins would naturally be aware of their competition.

“’Oddity’ is one word for it. They homeschool all of their children. From the way Kanzaki talks about them, it seems like they really do live in an enclave of their own, perfectly preserved as though it were still the Edo period.”

Eichi stares for long enough that Keito shifts with discomfort.

And then Eichi doubles over, booming with laughter.

“...is that funny?” Keito mumbles dubiously.

“It’s hysterical!” Eichi wipes his eyes, still clutching his stomach. “Living two centuries in the past, 24/7 – revolving your entire life around that – it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! _Why?_ But, wow… Honestly, you know, I will admit: I had been a little bit disappointed in our crop of new juniors this year. But Souma-kun really is something else…!”

Something in Keito tenses, just a little.

“But that is certainly strange – why did his parents not inform the school of all this? And why are you speaking for him instead of them?” Eichi taps his chin thoughtfully. “Though I suppose for a family of samurai, an idol would be something of a black sheep...”

Being watched by Eichi is an experience that Keito has never yet seen matched. Sakuma is smart, cunning, and observant, and regardless of the colour ties they wear he will never stop feeling like a child in his presence. But feeling Eichi’s eyes on him is worse than feeling naked – it’s an intensity that Keito doesn’t have words for, as much about Eichi’s impenetrable composure as Keito’s increasingly slippery grasp on it.

“...they weren’t fond of him attending,” he says. “He thinks if they knew there was a problem, they’d take him out.”

Eichi nods slowly, eyes drifting for a moment in thought.

“...mmm. That’s very interesting. Very… useful.”

The lights above him flicker, setting shadows briefly through his golden hair.

He refocuses on Keito and smiles, eyebrows raised in thanks. “You’ve done well. Taking him under your wing into Akatsuki has been fruitful – and he will only become even more devoted to you after this. But the ‘God’ Shinkai Kanata… his influence is awe-inspiring indeed.” Eichi’s brow furrows for a moment. “I’d rather not add him to his ‘friends’. To be able to take Souma-kun out of the equation entirely is a far cleaner card to keep up our sleeves.”

Keito’s chest feels tight. He can’t quite meet Eichi’s gaze, but there’s nowhere else to look. All he can think about is the other first year student, Sakasaki Natsume.

“...Keito.” Eichi’s palm cups Keito’s shoulder; despite his illness, he has always been so warm. And his eyes are so _bright,_ holding a fevered energy Keito has never seen him him before. “This is good. The swifter we can do this, the better. We are already making so much progress.”

It’s strange – the same mundane surroundings that render Kanzaki’s warrior image ridiculous don’t work the same way on Eichi. Rather than being diminished by them, he elevates them, until high school hallways feel like the path to an emperor’s throne and fluorescent bulbs project halos.

Awareness of the effect does not render Keito immune. 

“Yes, it all seems very dirty now, because we are finally unearthing this scum and corruption for all to see. Only in the light of day can it scrubbed white and set back in its proper place. When you see how beautiful this place can look, you will never hesitate again.”

Keito nods.

“...and, speaking of which...” Eichi steps back, flicking his head with almost a playful edge. “Leave it to me – I’ll raise the matter with the principal myself.”

“...uh,” Keito says, suddenly angry at his own speechlessness. “That isn’t necessary-”

Eichi rolls his eyes. “You insist on doing everything yourself. But if _you_ approached him, he’d make if very difficult for you, right? You’d have to explain yourself at length and deal with all those tedious ‘harumphs’… terribly annoying. No, it’s far easier for all concerned if I do the asking – he’ll bend over immediately.”

He really can’t argue with any of that. “...fine.”

“But what would be the best for poor Souma-kun...I suppos e he’d prefer to remain in class with his friends, but it’s quite a hurdle to overcome – would he even be able to catch?”

Keito nods. “He will. He’s very-” _Smart._ “...diligent.”

Eichi smiles. “He really is a good boy, isn’t he? How lovely. It must be nice, having such a sweet and devoted junior.”

“Hopeless, more like...” Keito mutters, and Eichi laughs.

“You’re always so harsh, Keito. Well, I won’t keep you. You can let him know that his beloved senior has fixed it all up nicely for him…!”

Keito watches him go for several long strides before he, too, leaves.

*

When he returns, he catches only a glimpse of Kanzaki’s worried expression before the boy shifts, sitting stick-straight and wide eyed while Keito approaches.

“You can say,” he says, and he can barely utter another syllable before Kanzaki is gasping with delight and leaping forwards to clasp Keito’s hand tightly.

“Thank you, thank you with all of my heart!” he declares, voice dripping with gratitude.

“Let me finish.” He shakes his hand out of his grip and adjusts his glasses. “You will be granted time to catch up, but you will be expected to do so before the end of the year. I am able to wave the school rules for you, but I hope you understand how it would look for a member of Akatsuki to be failing.”

“Of course – obviously!” Kanzaki nods frantically, eyes wide. “I will never, ever do anything to harm Akatsuki – I would slit my stomach first!”

Even when Kanzaki isn’t tugging at his clothes or pulling at his hand, he’s still able to so easily knock Keito off kilter. A bitterness rises in him again, but when he casts a scornful gaze over Kanzaki’s oblivious smile, it only grows ever taller.

“Honestly, though.” He rubs at his brow, closing his eyes rather than look at him. “The fact that you’ve been allowed to take a subject you’re so clearly unprepared for says it all about our school system… And it will take an insane amount of work to pull this off – I can’t imagine what could be worth that.”

Kanzaki laughs, startled and amused. “My, Hasumi-dono, you yourself can be quite airheaded as well sometimes, can’t you?”

Keito glares; as usual, it seems to have little effect.

“Why would I want to work so hard?” Kanzaki repeats, through an open and earnest grin. “Obviously, it’s for the same reason we’re all here – because I really, really want to be an _aidoru!_”

He realises it all of a sudden, finding its place as swiftly and surely as Kanzaki’s blade slices through the air. Kanzaki is right – he is airheaded to have failed to notice the similarity for so long.

_Is this how Eichi felt…?_

It isn’t as though Keito has never believed in anything – he was a child too, once, and he has likes and dislikes and hopes (his right hand clenches, just for a moment). But the life of an idol had never held any appeal to him – it’s all so loud and false and frankly very silly. The discovery of Yumenosaki Academy’s innate corruption had not fazed him in the slightest.

Had Eichi’s hopes been this pure? Did he feel betrayed?

There is a creak of wood; Keito starts, but Kanzaki is just leaning against the desk.

“...please, do not worry – I have no intention to bother you any more than I already have.” He fidgets with his hands in his lap, but when he notices Keito looking, folds them stiffly. “I understand that you and Kiryuu-dono are focused on important work, even if I do not know all of the details. I am not so selfish as to request you abandon that simply to let me live out my daydreams.”

When Eichi suggested the idea of Akatsuki to him, he’d been relieved. Working as an idol had never suited him, and he had little desire to continue. 

...standing on stage, throat hoarse and whole body sore, barely able to make out the audience through the blinding lights, but just as overwhelmed by the wall of cheers and claps before them - 

before him and Sakuma - 

He shakes his head. That won’t happen ever again.

“...Hasumi-dono?”

He seems nervous, head bowed and eyes raised hesitantly. _A guilty puppy, this time._ He looks like he wants nothing more than for Keito to pat his head and tell him everything will be okay.

Keito doesn’t have the right.

“...you understand, then.” He turns away as though there’s something else of note in this empty classroom. “I would have suggested a hiatus anyway, given the situation. You will need plenty of time to study.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And.” He holds up a hand; sure enough, Kanzaki halts his immediate surge forwards. Keito hesitates just for a moment. “Do not keep these things to yourself next time. Either I or Kiyuu will be willing to help you if you encounter any setbacks.”

He hears the smile in Kanzaki’s voice even without seeing it. “Thank you very much, Hasumi-dono! I will try not to bother you unnecessarily, but if I cannot find the answer to a problem on my own, I will consult you as soon as possible!”

“Good. You learn quickly, at least.”

“U-um, thank you! I am only doing what I can to take responsibility for my mistake!”

Keito’s brow furrows. “You weren’t the one who made a mistake.”

Kanzaki steps up beside him, shrugging a little. “I incorrectly judged my ability to pass – that was clearly an error. And I am causing trouble for everyone by being here...”

The sky outside is a vivid blue, so bright it almost hurts Keito’s eyes. _Trouble_, he thinks.

“...you often help me out with my student council work. Don’t forget that – it’s self-centred to only consider your own duties.”

“Ah, I see! If that’s true, then I am very happy indeed!”

Keito isn’t.

He hopes Kanzaki won’t notice that, either.


End file.
